Auger with travelling cutter



Feb. 15, 1966 G. c. DENNIS 3,235,016

AUGER WITH TRAVELLING CUTTER Filed Dec. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 15, 1966 G. c. DENNIS 3,235,016

AUGER WITH TRAVELLING CUTTER Filed Dec. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M2 74 5/ I I II 50 III 49 2 Fig.5

United States Patent 3,235,616 AUGER WITH TRAVELLING CUTTER George C. Dennis, 574 McNaughton Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Filed Dec. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 332,570 6 Claims. (Cl. 175-280) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in earth augers, particularly earth augers having travelling cutters.

When drilling relatively large bores through soil and the like, it is normal to rotate a plate type earth auger which augers soil on the upper surface of the plate. The auger plate is then withdrawn from the bore hole and the soil on the upper side thereof is removed by rotating the auger at high speed whereupon the auger plate is lowered into the bore hole for further rotation.

However, when relatively large diameter bore holes are required, the horsepower necessary to rotate such an auger plate is considerable.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an auger plate having a travelling cutter which permits the drilling of large diameter holes without any increase in the horsepower of the drive unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which can be adapted for drilling vertically or horizontally or inclined.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which permits easy resetting of the cutter bar each time the auger plate is removed from the bore hole for the removal therefrom of the soil collected upon the upper surface,

Yet another object of the invention in conjunction with the foregoing is to provide a device which includes relatively simple mechanism inasmuch as the return of the cutter bar is manually obtained.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which includes means whereby the drive connection to the cutter bar is automatically disengaged when the cutter bar reaches the perimeter of the housing or plate and which is automatically engaged when the cutter bar is moved to the starting position manually.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device, sectioned. in part to show the interior thereof.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional View substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view substantially along the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

3,235,016 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 Although the present device is designed primarily for vertical boring, nevertheless it will be appreciated that it can readily be adapted for use in horizontal boring.

Also although relatively large diameter auger plates can be used with lower horsepower than heretofore, also it will be appreciated that larger diameter plates can be used on existing drilling machines without increasing the horsepower available thereto.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference to the accompanying drawings will show a conventional kelly bar or drive bar 10 to which the device collectively designated 11 is secured by means of bolt 12 in the conventional manner.

The lower end 13 of the kelly bar is usually square in cross section and engages a corresponding aperture 14 within a hub 15 as illustrated. The base of the hub expands into a substantially D-shaped flange 16 (shown in phantom in FIGURE 1) and is provided with a downwardly extending cylindrical bearing portion 17 coaxial with the kelly bar 10.

A finned centering component 18 engages over the bearing portion 17 and is retained in position by means of pin 19 extending through the centering portion and engageable within an annular recess 29 formed around the lower end of the bearing portion 17.

A nose or cone portion 21 forms part of the centering portion 18 and engages the bottom end of the bore hole thus remaining stationary while the kelly and housing rotates thereupon.

The auger plate or housing collectively designated 22 comprises a disc-like lower plate 23 and a similar upper plate 24 maintained in spaced and parallel relationship by means of an annular wall 25 secured to the plates 23 and 24.

This housing is concentrically mounted upon a hearing extension 26 extending upwardly into the housing from the centering portion 18 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Extending through the housing from adjacent the center to the perimeter 27 is a cutter assembly slot 28 and extending diametrically across the housing between the plates 23 and 24, adjacent one side of slot 23 is a base plate 29. This base plate is pivotally mounted within the housing by means of pivot pin 31 adjacent the perimeter 27 at a point 31 adjacent one end of the slot 28.

The other end 32 of the base plate 29 is provided with an arcuate slot 33 through which pin 34 extends, pin 34 being secured to the lower plate 23.

The extremity 35 of the base plate 32 is also arcuately curved and engages under an anchor bar 36 secured to the lower plate 23 thus permitting limited pivotal motion of the base plate within the housing in the direction of double headed arrow 36',

A pair of spaced and parallel guides 37 and 38 are secured to the base plate and mounted for longitudinal movement between the guides is a rack bar 39 to which is attached the cutter assembly collectively designated 40 by means of attaching means 41.

Reference to FIGURE 3 will show the details of the cutter bar assembly and it will be noted that an inclined wall 42 extends between upper and lower plates 23 and 24 and forms one boundary 43 of the slot 28.

A substantially rectangular cutter plate 44 is secured to the rack bar 39 and extends downwardly through the JP slot with the cutting edge 45 being a predetermined distance below the lower plate 23.

The rear edge 46 of the cutter plate is clear of the edge 47 of the upper plate 24 forming the other boundary of the slot 28 and it will be noted that the rack bar 39 is shouldered at 48 to engage within corresponding recesses formed within the guides 37 and 38 along the length of travel of the cutter assembly.

Means 49 are provided operatively connecting the kelly bar to the rack bar, said means taking the form of a spur gear 50 surrounding the bearing portion 26 of the centering portion 18.

A further spur gear 51 is journalled for rotation upon a spindle 52 which extends through the portion 16, through the housing and through a stiffening plate 53 situated below the lower plate. In this connection it should be observed that the spur gear 50 is keyed to the bearing portion 26 by means of key 54 and it is therefore stationary when in operation.

Secured to gear 51 is a further gear 55 which in turn engages teeth 56 formed along one side of the rack bar.

It will therefore be appreciated that rotation of the kelly bar and housing in the direction of arrow 57 causes rotation of gears 51 and 55 in the direction of arrow 58 which in turn causes the rack bar and cutter assembly to move in the direction of arrow 59 from adjacent the center of the housing to the perimeter 27 thereof.

As the housing is also rotating at this time, the cutter assembly, travelling outwardly, cuts soil at the base of the bore hole and deposits same through the slot 28 upon the upper side of the auger plate or housing 22.

However, it is desirable to disengage the rack bar from the drive means when the cutter assembly 40 reaches the perimeter and in this connection reference should be made to FIGURE 1.

A stud 60 extends upwardly from the extremity 61 of the rack and is adapted to engage the pivoted lever 62, pivoted intermediate the ends thereof by means of pin 63 to guide bar 37 and this stud is adapted to engage the item 62 just as the cutter assembly reaches the perimeter of the housing.

A slotted release bar 64 is journalled for limited endwise movement to one side 65 of the guide bar 37 by means of pins 66 and springs 67 react between the pins and the release bar 64 normally maintaining it in the position shown in FIGURE 1.

A pin 68 extends upwardly from this release bar and through a slot 69 formed in the item 62 so that when the pin 60 strikes the end 70 of the item 62, the release bar is moved in the direction of arrow 71 against pressure of spring 67.

A catch plate 72 is situated between the plates 23 and 24 and is pivoted therein by means of pivot pin 73 and the end 74 of this catch plate is normally in engagement with the guide bar 37 and the end 75 of the release bar 64.

An arcuate slot 76 is formed on the other side of the catch plate and a pin 77 is secured to the lower plate 23 and extends upwardly into this slot within which is also a spring 78 reacting between the catch plate and the pin and normally maintaining it in the position shown in FIGURE 1.

When the release bar 64 moves in the direction of arrow 71 as hereinbefore described, it moves the end 74 of the catch plate in the direction of arrow 79 so that it becomes disengaged from the extremity 80 of the guide bar 37 thus permitting a spring 81 reacting between pin 34 and the end of slot 33, to urge the base plate 29 together with the guides 37 and 38 and the rack bar 39, in the direction of arrow 82 thus immediately disengaging the rack teeth 56 from the gear 55.

The auger is then removed from the bore hole and the earth situated upon the upper surface of the housing is removed by rotating the auger rapidly. The earth is then shovelled back from the hole.

The cutter assembly 40 is then moved from the perimeter 27 to the innermost position adjacent the kelly bar 10 or center of the housing and this can be done readily by engaging a shovel blade against the cutter assembly and pushing it and the rack bar between the guides 37 and 33.

The extremity 61 of the rack bar is provided with an inclined or camming face 83 and as this cam face engages pin 34, it forces the base plate, guide bars and rack bar in the direction opposite to arrow 82 against pressure of spring 81 and engages the rack teeth 56 with the gear 55.

At the same time spring 78 forces the catch plate 72 back into the position shown in FIGURE 1 and in engagement with the extremity of the guide bar thus locking the base plate 29 into the operative position. As soon as stud 60 moves back from lever 62, the release bar 64 is moved in the direction opposite to arrow 71 due to spring 67, thus resetting the catch or item 62 into the position shown in FIGURE 1 whereupon the anger assembly is lowered down the bore hole and the operation proceeds.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An auger assembly comprising in combination with a drive bar, a substantially cylindrical enclosure securable to and rotatable by said drive bar, a centrally located centering component below said enclosure, said drive bar extending through said enclosure and being journalled for rotation in said centering component, at least one cutter channel formed through said enclosure and extending from adjacent said drive bar, radially to the perimeter of said enclosure, a travelling cutter assembly mounted for radial movement along said cutter channel, and means operatively connecting said cutter assembly to said drive bar to move said cutter assembly outwardly from adjacent said drive bar to said perimeter of said enclosure as said drive bar is rotated, said means to move said cutter outwardly including a rack bar mounting said cutter assembly, gear means operatively connecting said rack bar to said drive bar, and means mounted in said enclosure adapted to disengage said rack bar from said gear means when said cutter assembly reaches the perimeter of said enclosure.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said means mounted in said enclosure adapted to disengage said rack bar from said gear means includes a substantially diametrically disposed base plate pivotally secured by one end thereof adjacent the perimeter of said enclosure, spaced and parallel rack guides secured to said base plate, and a release bar mounted on one side of one of said guides for limited endwise movement therealong, trip means on said release bar engageable by means on said rack bar when said cutter assembly reaches the perimeter of said enclosure, a catch plate pivotally secured to said enclosure and normally mounting said guides in operative position, said release bar being in engagement with said clutch plate, and spring loaded means mounting the other end of said base plate to said enclosure, to move said base plate, said guides, and hence said rack bar out of engagement with said gear means.

3. The device according to claim 2 which includes means on one end of said rack bar to reset said catch plate, said base plate, and said release bar, when said cutter assembly is moved manually from the perimeter of said enclosure to adjacent said drive bar.

4. The device according to claim 2 in which said spring loaded means includes said base plate being arcuately slotted adjacent the end opposite to the pivotal attachment end, a pin secured to said enclosure and extending through said slot and spring means reacting between said pin and said base plate.

5. The device according to claim 3 in which said spring loaded means includes said base plate being arcuately slotted adjacent the end opposite to the pivotal attachment end, a pin secured to said enclosure and extending through said slot and spring means reacting between said pin and said base plate.

6. The device according to claim 5 in which said means References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Schroeder 175273 Woytych 82-2.6 X Thassy 2998O Keller et a1. 822.6 X Morlan 175-384 X on said end of said rack bar comprises an inclined face 10 CHARLES OCONNELL Primary Examiner D. H. BROWN, Assistant Examiner.

engageable With said pin with a camming action. 

1. AN AUGER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION WITH A DRIVE BAR, A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL ENCLOSURE SECURABLE TO AND ROTATABLE BY SAID DRIVE BAR, A CENTRALLY LOCATED CENTERING COMPONENT BELOW SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID DRIVE BAR EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ENCLOSURE AND BEING JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION IN SAID CENTERING COMPONENT, AT LEAST ONE CUTTER CHANNEL FORMED THROUGH SAID ENCLOSURE AND EXTENDING FROM ADJACENT SAID DRIVE BAR, RADIALLY TO THE PERIMETER OF SAID ENCLOSURE, A TRAVELLING CUTTER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED FOR RADIAL MOVEMENT ALONG SAID CUTTER CHANNEL, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID CUTTER ASSEMBLY TO SAID DRIVE BAR TO MOVE SADI CUTTER ASSEMBLY OUTWARDLY FROM ADJACENT SAID DRIVE BAR TO SAID MEMBER OF SAID ENCLOSURE AS SAID DRIVE BAR IS ROTATED, SAID MEANS TO MOVE SAID CUTTER OUTWARDLY INCLUDING A RACK BAR MOUNTING SAID CUTTER ASSEMBLY, GEAR MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID RACK BAR TO SAID DRIVE BAR, AND MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID ENCLOSURE ADAPTED TO DISENGAGE SAID RACK BAR FROM SAID GEAR MEANS WHEN SAID CUTTER ASSEMBLY REACHES THE PERIMETER OF SAID ENCLOSURE. 